If Emma Stone is in it, it’s worth seeing.
Today, Disney announced that Emma Stone will be the title character in Cruella. Cruella de Vil is of course the main villain in 101 Dalmations. Previously, Meryl Streep was rumored for the role.
The 1961 animated Disney film was adapted from the novel by Dodie Smith and featured de Vil (ahhh… I see what you did there) hellbent on making a fur coat out of dalmation puppies. While the subject matter is most certainly a bit morbid, the film is an absolute classic and has since spawned a sequel as well as two live action films starring Glenn Close as Cruella de Vil.
Apparently, Disney is going to give the “villain movie” another shot after 2014’s bipolar mess, Maleficent. The film wasn’t horrible but it lacked heart and just didn’t really honor the story of Sleeping Beauty all that well. Maybe that was kind of the point, but then just make something that has absolutely nothing to do with those particular characters. At least the movie looked pretty.
In all honesty, the idea of making a prequel film for a villain is an interesting idea. Origin stories have been all the rage in the past few years with seemingly every superhero getting one but it’s not often you see one for a villain unless, of course, you count Rob Zombie’s Halloween. It’s interesting to note that Emma Stone seems a bit young to be playing Cruella de Vil but she’s a great actress and, if nothing else, her performance should be noteworthy even if the movie isn’t that great.
At the moment, there’s no release date set for Cruella nor is there any distinct plot information. Stay tuned.
